| Type | Baking mix,pancake |
|---|---|
| Inception | 1932 |
| Manufacturer | The Krusteaz Company (formerly Continental Mills) |
| Website | www |
Krusteaz is a consumer food product brand line ofTukwila, Washington-based Continental Mills, now The Krusteaz Company.[1] Its original product was "the world's first" just-add-water pie crust mix,[2] followed by a factory-prepared,shelf-stable flour and driedbuttermilk mixture,[3] developed in 1946 or 1947 at thehome economics department of theUniversity of Washington,[4] for making baked items includingbiscuits,pancakes,waffles,cobbler anddump cake.[5]
The brand name "Crust Ease", changed to "Krusteaz", was coined and the company founded in 1932, reportedly[6] by four members of a Seattle bridge club; known co-founder Ada Rose Gilbreath Charters was from aColumbia County pioneer family, and raised on a farm inDayton before attendingWashington State University,[7][8] back when it was known as Washington Agricultural College. She and her husband James Charters were the original owner-operators of the business.
As of September 2022, Krusteaz employed over 400 people in the Kent–Tukwila facilities[9] – aKent Valley facility constructed in 1986[10] – up from 300 in 2020,[11] with over 800 total,[12] including inEffingham, Illinois,Manhattan, Kansas, andHopkinsville, Kentucky, manufacturing over 150 products (e.g., muffin mixes, quick breads, snacks, cider), some for private labels and licensed brands.
Hundreds of pounds of Krusteaz may be used in a singlepancake feed.[13]